The Guardians

Chapter 22

Lyra scrounged around in the kitchen until she found bowls and a cauldron. Luckily, the meat she found in the larder was still good, even with no one having been the keep in at least two months. She cooked a meal for them, adding healing herbs to Aiden's bowl to help with the fever. He was already looking better. Even though the fever had yet to break, he didn't look as ill as he had before reaching Halmont. She helped him sit up and they ate the meal together, Lyra dreading him asking what she did. Aiden did try to rise from the bed rest she'd put him in with Lyra reminding him of her threat. While they hid in Halmont, Lyra would only venture downstairs when she needed to. Otherwise, she stayed upstairs near Aiden. When she did venture downstairs, she was always cautious in case someone wandered onto the grounds, her hand on her dagger. Despite Gaia's promise and even with the wards she placed around the entrances that would warn her if a human intruded into their sanctuary, she was still cautious. She felt like she was fourteen again, looking over her shoulder and hoping that no one was haunting her steps. She hated having to keep an eye over her shoulder. It was her oldest life and one she had never dreamed that she would live again. Damn Alora for starting this war. Damn Sari for her foolishness. Damn Arlan for his superior forces.

Aiden was relieved that Lyra hadn't been too angry at him for trying to keep his wound hidden. But his suspicions about her story returned. He had been aware enough to know that the strange sensation in his wounded side was from magic. He'd felt it before. It had been foreign to feel his skin cool around his wound and the flesh move and knit back together. He wondered how much of her tale had been true. And most of all he wondered why she'd kept her magic to herself. She could have saved Faeren. Had he known? Was that why he stopped her? She wouldn't allow him to move from the bed, which was frustrating to him. He wanted to be back on his feet and continue looking for any survivors. Finally, he could not keep his curiosity to himself.

"I need to ask you something," he began.

"I didn't want anyone to fear me." Lyra knew what he was going to ask and seemed to have expected it. "So many fear magic but, as you could see, it has its advantages. No one knows we escaped because I used magic to hide it." That would explain the odd feeling he'd had before they fled.

"What did you do?"

"Do you want to know every bit of magic I did during the battle?"

"If you want. But I was referring to what spell you used to hide our escape?"

"It's called a Wall of Stealth. Once it's cast, it hides anyone behind the wall from everyone. I cast it while your back was turned."

"Did you think I would think less of you?"

"Truthfully, yes. I was afraid that all of you would push me away and treat me differently if they knew. I use my gift to aid me in battle mostly."

Aiden was satisfied with the answer. Perhaps her tale had been the truth. Her father must have known as well and knew that his employer would try to exploit her powers.

~~~

Neve thought about going to Halmont, but thought better of it. Even though Aiden knew it well, Lyra didn't know it at all. And chances were that Arlan's men would be stationed there to intercept any Guardians that were lucky enough to escape. They had to know that would be where they would be expected to go. But where else would they go? She stroked the fire and racked her mind for an alternative. Would the Guardians even have any allies left that were willing to stand against Arlan's forces? Then she remembered. It was a little-known alliance but it was still an alliance. The Druids had aided the Guardians of Veloce for centuries and even a few had joined them. And if anyone could help her find Aiden and Lyra, it would be them. Neve put out the fire and hid its existence before alighting into a tree to rest for the night.